Amebiasis in institutions for the mentally retarded in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
A parasitologic survey of 620 mentally retarded patients, institutionalized in five different facilities in Kanagawa Prefecture, revealed a high incidence (12.6%) of infection with Entamoeba histolytica. A concomitant serologic survey, by the indirect fluorescent antibody test, gave a much higher incidence (26.5%). Moreover, most zymodeme patterns of the amebae isolated from infected individuals were of a pathogenic type (Zymodeme II). Our findings demonstrate that the mentally retarded in Japan, as in the United States, still are plagued by a high rate of amebic infection.
Nagakura
K
K
Department of Parasitology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa.
Tachibana
H
H
Kaneda
Y
Y
Suzuki
H
H
Sasaoka
K
K
Kobayashi
S
S
Takeuchi
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012112:Residential Facilities
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan